Potato & Caramelized Fennel Gratin with Parmesan Cheese
This decadent side takes just 15 minutes of prep to put together and is a total crowd-pleaser. Upgrade the humble spud to a show-stopping dish tonight!
Ingredients
Caramelized Fennel
- 2-3 tablespoon Butter
- 2 bulbs Fresh Fennel sliced
- 6 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 C Stock or Broth I used chicken, but veggie or beef will work just fine
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
To Assemble
- 2 ½ lb Yukon Gold Potatoes sliced ¼" rounds
- 4 oz Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 C Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Remove fronds. Vertically quarter fennel bulbs, remove root base and vertically slice. Melt butter in a heavy bottomed sauté pan until bubbling. Add fennel slices and a 5-finger pinch of salt to encourage sweating. Stir occasionally, cooking until fennel is beginning to soften and become translucent, 3-4 minutes.Add garlic and stir. Cook until fragrant, 30-45 seconds.Add stock or broth and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broth is evaporated and fennel is golden and fork tender.2-3 tablespoon Butter, 2 bulbs Fresh Fennel, 6 cloves Garlic, 2 C Stock or Broth, Kosher Salt and Pepper
- In the bottom of gratin, casserole or pie dish, spread out a single layer of potatoes, attempting to cover as much of the pan as possible without overlap. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.Add fennel in single layer, stretching to cover as much surface area as possible.Layer remaining potatoes atop fennel. Season with salt and pepper.Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, covering as much surface area as possible. Slowly drizzle in heavy cream, being careful not to disturb the cheese too much. Try to get the cream to touch as much as possible.2 ½ lb Yukon Gold Potatoes, 4 oz Parmesan Cheese, 1 C Heavy Cream
- Cover tightly with foil. *If you prefer, you can place the gratin in the fridge overnight to bake off for the following day.Preheat oven to 325F. Bake gratin covered for 30-45 minutes, until potatoes are still too al dente to eat, but you can push a fork through. Remove foil and crank heat to 375F. Return to oven for another 30-45 minutes, until top is golden and bubbly and potatoes are easily pierced by a fork. *If topping is browning too quickly, lightly tent foil over top while baking. Do not seal edges as you want some evaporation to take place.Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Storage & Reheating
- Fennel Prep: Caramelize the fennel in advance — it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or you can freeze it for 1–2 months.
- Make-Ahead: You can also assemble the entire gratin, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate it overnight and bake from the fridge.
- Leftovers: Once baked, the gratin will last up to a week in the fridge, though in my house it rarely makes it past day three because it’s just that good. For longer storage, freeze cooled portions in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months.
- From the fridge: Cover the dish with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through, about 20–25 minutes. Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave for 2–3 minutes, though the oven keeps the top crispier.
- From the freezer: Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat following the same oven directions. If you’re short on time, you can reheat straight from frozen by covering with aluminum foil and baking at 350°F for 45–50 minutes, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes to re-crisp the top.
- Control the color. Is your potato gratin browning too quickly? Lightly tent foil over the top during the second bake to prevent too much color from developing. Just be sure not to seal the foil around the edges, or the sauce may end up watery because it won't be able to evaporate at all.
- Thinly slice your fennel bulbs so they caramelize more quickly and evenly. If you're lucky enough to have found fennel with the fronds still attached, they make a pretty garnish.
- Evenly slice your potatoes to the same thickness so they cook at the same rate. While not necessary, a mandoline makes it easy to make perfectly even slices of potatoes and fennel.
- Dairy-Free - Use vegan whipping cream and vegan parmesan for all the flavor with none of the dairy.
- Vegetarian - Make sure your parmesan cheese is vegetarian-friendly and opt for vegetable broth or stock.
- Vegan - Follow the instructions in the bullet points above to make the gratin potatoes both dairy-free and vegetarian.
- Allium-Free - Omit the garlic in favor of a few pinches of asafoetida (hing).Fennel-Free - Swap in caramelized onions for an equally satisfying twist. (Check out my potato-onion pierogi recipe for my best onion caramelizing tips.)
Nutrition
Calories: 299kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 9gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 508mgPotassium: 641mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 762IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 208mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!